In the Moment
by Spartanica
Summary: When Sakura is ordered to protect Gaara, Sasuke is the last person she expects to run into. But when she does, they are lost in unwilling desire. I'm bad at summaries. Just read it. Oneshot SasukeSakura


**Author: I was watching some Sakura/Sasuke AMVs and they made me indescribably sad. I just feel for Sakura. She loved Sasuke so much and he left. So, I decided to write this oneshot between them. I kind of made the beginning rushed, since I just wanted to get to the point. All reviews welcome.**

Faster. Sakura's legs were burning. Each muscle in her body protested. She had seen him. She knew she had. Faster. He was older, taller, and his eyes had been red with the Sharingan, but it was him. Faster. She had to catch up to him. "Sasuke..." Sakura whispered. Faster.

_Sakura, Kakashi and Naruto had been assigned to a mission in the Sand Village. Rumors had been floating around of an assassination attempt on the Kazekage. Gaara had refused help, but Tsunade had ignored him. "You three, go protect Gaara." Naruto punched the air with one fist._

_"All right! I'm going to be Hokage, so I might as well call in a favor for the Kazekage!" He rested his hands on the back of his head, grinning widely. _

_Sakura had remained silent. She knew when her sensei wasn't telling her everything. She waited for Naruto and Kakashi to leave, then remained there, silent._

_"What is it, Sakura?" Tsunade asked, sitting behind her desk with her hands folded. The woman looked tired._

_"You're hiding something." Sakura murmured. It wasn't a question. "Akatsuki wouldn't go after Gaara again so quickly. What's going on?"_

_Tsunade smiled faintly. "You know me too well, it seems, Sakura. When we discovered teams moving towards the Sand Village, we recognized Kabuto was among them." Tsunade stood. "Sakura, there is a chance Sasuke-kun will be at this battle. If you don't want to go, i'll understand." _

_Sakura gazed down at the ground. "No, it's fine. I'll go." She said quietly. Tsunade looked uncomfortable. _

_"Are you sure? I mean I could always send-"_

_"No, it's fine!" Sakura snapped. "I don't mind!" She turned and stormed out of the room, joining Kakashi and Naruto at the main gate. _

_"Is something wrong, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked. _

_Sakura stared off down the main road. "No. Let's go." She said coldly, breaking into a run and springing up into the trees. _

_Naruto stared blankly at Kakashi, whose face was impassive. Then the pair sprang after Sakura._

Faster. Sakura grasped a tree branch for leverage and pulled herself forward onto another tree. "Sakura! Wait up!" Naruto's voice echoed behind her. When she had seen his face, she had run off after him without warning. Naruto had followed. But she barely registered his presence. Her blood pounded in her ears.

Her legs felt as if they would fall off. Sasuke. She had to see him again. If it was really him, she had to find him, talk to him. Faster.

_Upon reaching the Sand Village, Sakura, Narut and Kakashi were each given rooms in the Kazekage's mansion. Gaara himself had come to greet them at the Village gate, looking annoyed. "I didn't ask for help." He muttered. Signs of Deidara's attack and his ressurection were still apparent on his face._

_"Who are you kidding, Gaara? You need us." Naruto said, grinning. Sakura stood in the background, hands folded in front of her. She shook her head, deciding not to think about Sasuke. She would focus on protecting Gaara. _

_However, Gaara's life as Kazekage wasn't always exciting. He ended up spending most of the day in his office, pouring over papers and forms. Naruto and Kakashi had gone to bed hours ago, and only Sakura remained in the office with Gaara, sitting silently with her back against a wall._

_She was determined not to fall asleep. If anyone tried to attack Gaara, she would protect him. She remembered when Sasuke had left, how she had pleaded with him to stay. "I love you so much!" She had cried out, tears streaming down her face. He had stopped walking. "I know that." His voice had echoed back to her._

_But then he started walking again. Her heart burst with pain. "If you go, i'll scream!" She cried out. She'd stop him even if he hated her. Suddenly, his outline blurred and she sensed him behind her._

_What would he do? The silence stretched and she trembled, the tears sliding down her cheeks. "Sakura." His breath whispered on her neck and suddenly she knew he wasn't going to hug her and say he loved her too. He wasn't going to tell her he would return. He wasn't..."Arigato." Thank you? Sakura's mind went blank. A heartbeat passed, then there was a blinding pain in the back of her neck._

_"Sasuke...kun..." Sakura murmured as darkness closed over._

_"Hey, Sakura-san." A voice caused her to open her eyes. She found herself looking at the Kazekage's face. Gaara looked both tired and a bit uncomfortable. Had she fallen asleep? She touched her cheek with one hand and found it wet. "You should go get some rest." Gaara said._

_Sakura shook her head and wiped her eyes, straightening in her seat. "I'm here to protect you, and that's what i'm going to do." She said stubbornly._

_Gaara frowned. His seafoam eyes bore into her emerald ones. He knew something was wrong. She had been crying in her sleep. "Sasuke..." She had whispered. _

_Sakura squirmed slightly under his scruitiny. "What?" She muttered, slightly irritated. _

_"You still love him, don't you?" Gaara asked softly._

_Sakura blinked. Tears pressed at her eyes once more and Gaara wished he hadn't said anything. She had been so lost ever since Sasuke left. "Don't be ridiculous." Sakura murmured._

_Gaara's face grew impassive. He straightened as she stood up abruptly. "I am a Shinobi. We don't have emotions." Sakura said firmly. Gaara surveyed her sadly. "I'm here to make sure nothing happens to you, so don't bother telling me to get some rest."_

_Gaara said nothing, watching the girl's face. He nodded. "Could you get me some water? I know it's strange to ask, but..."_

_"No, i'll get you some water." Sakura said firmly. "I'll be right back." She turned and left the office, walking down the hall._

_She returned furious with herself. How could she have been so stupid as to fall asleep? She hadn't been able to keep Sasuke safe, she wouldn't fail again. "Don't worry, Gaara-sama, i'll keep you safe." She thought to herself as she reached the Kazekage's office, holding a cup of water in one hand. The door was locked._

_She started to knock, then hesitated, hearing voices on the other side. One was certainly Kabuto's. "Kazekage-sama, we've come to kill you."_

_Gaara's voice was next. "You could try. However, if you wanted to kill me, I believe you would have done so already."_

_"True. Akatsuki had the right ideo, trying to extract the Jinchuuriki. But if they do, they'll come after Orochimaru. We're here to make sure that doesn't happen." Kabuto's voice was quiet, and Sakura barely heard. Then she jumped upon hearing a loud explosion. The room shook and there was a cry of pain. The sound of sand falling to the floor, then silence._

_"Gaara-sama!" Sakura thought wildly. She rammed her shoulder against the door. "Gaara-sama!" She cried out, then backed up, slamming a kunai into the door's lock. It crumbled and fell to the ground, and she rushed inside. Kabuto lay unconscious on the ground, while Gaara stood clutching his upper arm. _

_There was a third figure in the room, pulling Kabuto onto his shoulder, framed by the window. The person's hair shifted, obsidian in the moonlight, revealing his face. Sakura's heart skipped a beat. "Sasuke."_

Sakura left Naruto far behind, her purpose driving her faster than would have otherwise been possible. She caught sight of a flash of white cloth, Sasuke's shirt, and despite her screaming legs, ran even faster. Suddenly, the tree cover vanished. She was left standing at the edge of a clearing. In it's center stood Sasuke, one hand on his hip. His other arm was loose, hanging by his side.

"What do you intend to do, Sakura, now that you have caught up to me?" Sasuke's voice was so cold, so mirthless, that Sakura's hands trembled.

_She had looked at Gaara with fear. He glanced down at his arm. "It's fine." He said softly. "Go after him." Sakura hesitated. "Quickly, before it's impossible to catch up!" Gaara said urgently. _

_Naruto and Kakashi had rushed into the room just after he spoke. Sakura nodded curtly and sprang out the window, Naruto following a moment later._

"I'm going to stop you." Sakura whispered. She didn't trust her voice to speak steadily, and found she couldn't even look directly at him. She pulled two kunai into her hands. They felt heavier than usual.

A laugh reached her ears. "You won't hurt me Sakura." His voice almost sounded sad. There was a hiss of wind, then he was right in front of her, lips nearly touching her ear. "You never could..."

Sakura clutched the kunai tightly, knuckles turning white. She let out a cry of anguish and thrust one towards his shoulder. His hand moved in a blur and he caught her wrist. "Sakura. Don't make me kill you." He whispered. "I don't want to do that."

Sakura's hand was shaking. Her gaze flickered up to Sasuke's and she felt tears in her eyes. He was looking down at her, face emotionless, gripping her wrist with a crushing force. Her breathing was irregular as she choked back the tears. "I don't want to hurt you." He pushed her back and she stumbled, but remained upright. The kunai fell from her hands. Then her fingers curled into fists.

"It's a little late for that, don't you think?" Sakura whispered. She looked up at him, and he blinked, lifting his chin slightly. She sprang forward, fist flying towards his face. He caught her hand and wrenched her arm aside to dodge the second blow she threw. She continued attacking, tears blurring her eyes in her frenzy. Each shot he blocked, and each time she grew more angry. He shoved her back again with such force that she couldn't remain standing.

Kneeling on the ground, chest heaving, Sakura knew the tears were falling freely now. "Sakura," Sasuke murmured. "You don't understand, do you?" She clenched her teeth, refusing to look at him. "I can't stay with you anymore. I walk a different path than you. I am an avenger. Nothing more."

Sakura trembled with fury. "If you won't come back, then i'll kill you." She said, voice surprisingly steady. She stood and her right foot whirled around towards his head. He snatched her ankle and started to shift his center of gravity to fling her across the clearing, but she used her hands to remain balanced and pulled herself free.

Sasuke reached out and his hand flew around Sakura's throat, pinning her to a tree. She gave a half-choking sob, glaring at Sasuke through eyes blurred with tears. Her hands were clenched around his wrist. "Why are you trying so hard, Sakura?" He murmured.

She clenched her eyes shut, trying to free herself. But she had been no match for Sasuke even before he had gone to Orochimaru. And now, even with her slowly gaining strength through training with Tsunade, she didn't stand a chance against his strength. "Why?" She repeated, voice shaking with pain and anger. "Because I love you." She hissed, eyes snapping open.

There was silence. Sakura wondered if he would simply kill her and walk away. But he did something she wouldn't have guessed would happen. He leaned forward and kissed her. There was no battle for dominance and no asking for entry. One moment he was staring, the next, his tongue was exploring the inside of her mouth. Sakura's eyes were wide in surprise, and she couldn't even move, his hand still in place on her throat.

When he pulled away, she blinked. "Wh...?" She started to speak, but he placed the index finger of his left hand over her lips to silence her. He kissed her again, engulfing her mouth in is own.

He pulled away again after a slightly longer time. He slowly removed his hand from around her throat, and it trailed slowly down her neck, then her side, until he stood with his arms loose at his side.

The tears had stopped falling. What was going on? Sakura looked at him, at his eyes, and saw something there. He cared about her. She could tell. She could see it. She could feel it. But it shouldn't matter. She was here to stop him. To stop loving him. She couldn't do this. She decided it didn't matter. She had told him she would do anything for him. She had said she would follow him anywhere. She had been telling the truth. "Sakura..." Sasuke said softly.

"Sasuke." Sakura murmured. It was the last time they spoke, for Sakura threw her arms around Sasuke's neck and kissed him fiercely.

Sasuke wrapped his arms around Sakura's waist and pulled her body close to his. He pushed her down to the leaf covered earth and shifted so they were more comfortable. His hands scrabbled to the back of her dress, tearing at the cloth until he had pulled it off her. Barely aware of the fact that she was almost entirely naked, save her underwear, Sakura allowed the kiss to deepen.

Sasuke licked her lips slowly, running his tongue across her jawline then trailing kisses down her neck. He nibbled her collarbone gently, then began sucking on the skin in the hollow of her neck, biting down occasionally.

He sat up suddenly, pulling his shirt off over his shoulders then straddling Sakura, one knee on either side of her hip. Sakura's palms slid up his stomach, fingers dancing across his chest and sending a shiver down her spine. Was this really going to happen? Did she even want this to happen?

Sasuke leaned down again with renewed passion, kissing her hungrily. Sakura felt a tiny spark of fear. If she wanted to stop, would Sasuke back off? He had seemed perfectly willing to kill her a few minutes ago. She pushed away her doubts. She wanted this.

Sasuke's hand slid up her waist, fingers sending a tingle through her skin as he brushed her side, then moved to cup her breast. Sakura had imagined this. She had thought he would be gentle. But now she knew it would be different. She would not be whispering "I love you" after he took her. Neither would he. This would be about passion, about the moment.

Sasuke's tongue ran down her neck. He paused briefly to bite the skin over her collarbone, then moved on. His lips placed kisses along the swell of her breast, tongue swirling around her nipple. He sucked on the skin there gently before moving to the other breast until both her nipples were hardened. Sakura's hands were clenched on the ground beside her, and her eyes were closed. She feared that if she opened them, all of this would shatter.

Sasuke must have removed his pants, for she felt his member's head brushing the inside of her thigh. Sasuke's hand rested on her cheek. He kissed her again, then without warning she felt him plunge inside her. Her back arched off the ground in pain and her eyes were clenched tighter. For a moment, time stopped. It was like nothing she had ever expected. The feeling of someone inside you. And this was Sasuke. The thought drove the physical pain away. She was having sex with Sasuke.

Part of her wanted to think about what this meant. Wanted to wonder what he was feeling, what he was thinking. The more logical part of her knew it was pointless. There was no reason behind this. It simply was. After a few moments, the pain subsided to be replaced by pleasure.

Sasuke pulled himself almost all the way out of her, then dove back inside. A ripple of heat ran through her, causing her muscles to tense. Sasuke repeated the maneuver and the pulse went through her again. But this time it didn't stop. Methodically, Sasuke began thrusting his hips. Each time, the heat went through Sakura, and her fingers raked down his back. He increased the pace mercilessly, and Sakura let out a small whimper, hands moving up to tangle themselves in his ebony hair.

Sasuke's arms were wrapped around Sakura's hips, keeping her as close to him as humanly possible. Both of them were breathing heavily now and were moving their hips to the same rythm, grinding together as the pulsing heat began to coil. Sakura could feel it bunching together inside her and knew what was coming.

But somehow he was holding himself back, extending the experience so the pleasure lasted longer. But it was almost painful now. Sakura moaned into Sasuke's mouth. Sakura felt her entire body tense. She couldn't stand this any longer. Finally, she came. A moment later, she felt him come inside her, spilling his seed into her yearning womb.

Sasuke pulled himself out of Sakura and she looked up at him. She wasn't sure what to expect next. When she pictured her first time, she thought she would cuddle in the warmth of his embrace. He pulled on his clothes then knelt beside her. He moved one hand towards her face and she flinched, but he merely smiled faintly and placed it around the back of her neck, kissing her tenderly. "Sasuke..." Sakura said quietly. She knew he was going to leave. "Please, Sasuke, I-" But he silenced her with another kiss, pressing his forehead to hers.

"Sakura, whatever happens. Wherever we are. I will find you again." He whispered the words so quietly she wasn't sure she had heard them. Then there was a blinding pain at the base of her neck and darkness closed over.

After rendering Sakura unconscious, Sasuke silently dressed her again. He ran his fingers across her stomach, wondering if they had created a child. He picked her up in his arms and began walking back in the direction they had come in. When he had kissed her, he had simply been seized with an animal lust. Then he knew he would have to rebuild his clan eventually, and as Sakura fought him, he decided she would be a good woman to bear his child.

But when he had been inside her, and his lips had been pressed against hers, he had felt something he had never experienced before. He knew that a part of him cared for her deeply. That in all honesty he could never do her harm. That on some level, he loved her.

"Sakura!" Hearing Naruto's voice, Sasuke paused. He didn't want to deal with the blond right now. Laying Sakura down on the ground gently, he brushed her pink hair from her face. A faint smile touched his face, and he vanished into the trees.

Sakura felt someone tapping her face. "Sasuke?" She murmured through clumsy lips as her eyes flickered open. But the face that met her was Naruto's. She drew in a shaky breath, wondering for a moment if it had really happened. From the soreness between her legs, she knew it had.

"No, it's Naruto." The blond's blue eyes were concerned as he stared down at her. "What happened? Are you ok?" He asked.

Sakura smiled. One hand was placed on her stomach. Maybe she and Sasuke had conceived a child. She remembered his promise that he would find her, and clung to that with every fiber of her being.

"Sakura, did you see Sasuke?" Naruto asked urgently, helping her to her feet. Sakura gazed off into the distance. For a while, at least, she would keep this to herself. If she was pregnant, that would become apparent on it's own. But until then, she would enjoy the memories alone.

"No, I tripped and must have gotten knocked out." Sakura said. "We better get back." She started towards the Sand Village again, and Naruto followed her, bewildered.


End file.
